FOOD for LIFE

Menu

ALL SUMMER I waited. And waited. It felt like I was living in limbo – a world after graduation and before your first career choice, whatever it turns out to be. Stuck somewhere between the concrete and the unknown I felt like it might never end. And then it all changed within a span of two weeks, funny how things work. Long story short I have moved from Georgia to New York. A very drastic change to say the least, though people do say they never took me for a true Southerner. This may be a shocker but I have never been a fan of fried chicken, biscuits, and sweet tea so my departure can’t have surprised all that many. I am very excited to be in a city with every type of ingredient you can imagine and hope the future posts begin to reflect it. I am sad to leave loved ones but look forward to all the adventures that lay ahead!

And now this is where the kale, a vegetable I feel does not get the recognition it deserves, comes into play. When first being considered for this position in NY I had gone up to Atlanta for a weekend of dancing. Swing dancing. The one thing I thought would always be my number one. Then while eating dinner with family my last night there we decided to try something different. My Aunt was describing how no one in her house will ever eat cauliflower, but if she tosses it with a little olive oil and seasoning and bakes it…..there is never a morsel left. Upon hearing this I realized this is how all those raving food bloggers make kale chips. That very second we decided to make them ourselves and see what all the hype was about.

Needless to say it was AMAZING! The smell alone…….. I wanted to take the entire three baking sheets of kale, pour them into a large bowl, and run off. God save the person who tried to take even a piece away from me…

You have no excuse not to try these crispy and nutritious treats! But beware: You better make enough!

First you must exert great amounts of patience as you wash, pat dry, then proceed to shop the kale into bite size pieces. Depending on the type of kale you are using the lower/thicker part of the stem can be discarded, I have found sometimes that it can remain a bit chewy. OR you can go the easier route by purchasing a large bag of already washed and chopped kale. Oh modern marvels.

Once you have all you kale chopped and ready to go spread it out evenly on a large baking sheet. drizzle with olive oil, or oil of choice, remember a little goes a long way. Sprinkle with salt. Toss, by tossing you end up giving the pan a good coat. Then bake at 325 for around 12 minutes or until crispy.

As you take your first delicious taste of a kale chip any misconception you might have had will dissapear. Angels up above will sing. And it will take immense effort to offer the rest of the batch out to lucky onlookers.

Kale chips will quickly become one of your top favorites AND you can really get a bit creative with them too. I like sprinkling parmesan cheese on top right before I put them in the oven. I’m sure other cheeses would be amazing, or maybe even something spicey? No matter the flavor one thing is for sure. North or South I will always love my kale chips 🙂